"A lethal weapon if you want to bore your opponents to death," said UpTights. TheCreep had come off the telephone by now and wasn't look happy. "It's just not fair," he wailed. "These things all seem to go on who likes who and have nothing whatsoever to do with how much work you put in."

"Welcome to the real world," said OldSmoothie.

"But why do these things matter at all?" said a pupil.

"Because there's nothing more powerful than peer review," said OldSmoothie puffing out his chest.

"Or unadulterated vanity," said BusyBody.

"And because these days solicitors hardly ever see you in court," said TheVamp.

"So they therefore want to know what other solicitors might have to say about you?" said the pupil.

"Exactly," said TheVamp.

"Even though they hardly ever see you in court either?" persisted the pupil."Quite so," came the reply.